Padres rally late to beat Braves

6/26/2011 San Diego , Ca The San Diego Padres close out the final game of a series against the Atlanta Braves with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hudson singled to center and Jesus Guzmanscored as David Ross places the tag without the ball in the 8th inning. Photo Sean M. Haffey/San Diego Union-Tribune

6/26/2011 San Diego , Ca The San Diego Padres close out the final game of a series against the Atlanta Braves with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hudson singled to center and Jesus Guzmanscored as David Ross places the tag without the ball in the 8th inning. Photo Sean M. Haffey/San Diego Union-Tribune

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Like a man on the mound with his go-to pitch, Padres manager Bud Black owns his go-to quotes. One of his favorites, accounting for the bizarre that often unfolds between the white lines: “You know what that is? That’s baseball.”

Which serves as the perfect explanation for the Padres’ 4-1 win against Atlanta on Sunday in front of 24,078 at Petco Park.

After 7 ½ innings, four Padres pitchers had limited the Braves to two hits. But a walk, a botched double play by Orlando Hudson and a Will Venable error enabled the Braves to eke out a run in the eighth.

“Venters, I think you’ve all seen his numbers,” said Cory Luebke, who gave up only one hit across five innings in his first 2011 start. “He’s been pretty untouchable all year.”

Try a 4-0 record and a 0.56 ERA in 43 appearances before Sunday.

So what unfolds?

Venters walks Chris Denorfia on a 3-2 pitch.

“One-nothing game, you don’t want to come in and walk the leadoff guy,” said Venters.

Cameron Maybin hits a topper halfway to the mound. Venters takes his time, as if a 250-pounder catcher were chugging to first. But it was Maybin, who beat the throw.

“Cam ran hard all the way through,” said Black.

Rob Johnson sacrifices the runners to second and third and Jesus Guzman is intentionally walked. Up steps Venable, no doubt wanting to redeem himself for the eighth-inning error. Instead, on a safety squeeze, he pops out to Venters.

Jason Bartlett hits an infield single to shortstop, tying the game.

Two outs, bases loaded, tie game, and Hudson strides into the box. Up until that at-bat, Hudson’s 43rd game as a Padre had served as a microcosm of his 2011th season — painfully disappointing.

With two trips to the disabled list — “Happens when you play hard,” he said — Hudson came into the game hitting .241 with one home run and 10 RBI. Numbers you expect from a No. 8 hitter, not someone batting third.

Entering the eighth inning Sunday, he was 0-for-4, including a strikeout with one out and runners on second and third in the seventh.

“Never a rough day,” Hudson said of his game up until the eighth. “It happens. Part of the game. ’Cause if it were easy, guess what? You’d be doing it.”

This time, he lined a single up the middle, knocking in two runs. Chase Headley followed with an RBI single. And in one inning the Padres — next-to-last in hitting, No. 1 in strikeouts and shutouts — touched up Venters for more earned runs (four) than he allowed in his previous 43 games.

Scanning through his cell phone, Hudson came across a text he sent earlier in the day to his mother.

“Happy birthday, mom,” he said. “There you go.”

Despite the two trips to the DL, batting 41 points below his career average coming into the season (.280) and spending the season in the cellar, Hudson insists the season has been fun.

“I’m doing something every person wishes they could do,” he said. “I’m making money playing a kid’s game. My family’s healthy; you can’t beat that.”

On the subject of perspective, the most significant long-range aspect of Sunday’s win may have been Luebke’s outing. Considered a future member of the team’s starting rotation, Luebke — filling in for the injured Aaron Harang — only solidified his status.

“An outstanding performance,” Black said.

Luebke, 27, made three starts last September. His first 29 appearances this season came out of the bullpen and to calm the left-hander, pitching coach Darren Balsley told him to treat it like a relief outing.

“One inning at a time,” Luebke said.

His first inning was a gem, striking out Jordan Schafer, Jason Heyward and Chipper Jones, all looking. Relying primarily on a fastball that consistently hit 94 mph, Luebke retired 15 of the 18 hitters he faced. He struck out six, walked two. The only hit he allowed was Nate McLouth’s third-inning double.

With Harang likely out until after the All-Star break, Luebke figures to make at least two more starts.

After dipping to a season-low 14 games under .500, the Padres have won four of five. The wins came against Boston and Atlanta, clubs that are a combined 22 games over .500.